Electronic health record hanging protocol and display for an integrated clinical course

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a system and method for visualizing clinical data. The system can display multiple kinds of clinical data in a timeline format. Further, the system can provide a user with a holistic view of a subject's health.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 a) receiving into a memory sector from a first data source a first electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the first electronic communication contains a first time-stamped clinical event of a first subject;   b) receiving into the memory sector from a second data source a second electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the second electronic communication contains a second time-stamped clinical event of the first subject;   c) reading by a computer processor the computer-readable code from the first electronic communication to identify the first time-stamped clinical event of the first subject;   d) reading by the computer processor the computer-readable code from the second electronic communication to identify the second time-stamped clinical event of the first subject;   e) generating by an image processor a first image based on the identity of the first time-stamped clinical event of the first subject;   f) generating by the image processor a second image based on the identity of the second time-stamped clinical event of the first subject; and   g) displaying on a visual display the first image and the second image, wherein the visual display organizes the first image and the second image in a first dimension based on medical service type and in a second dimension based on time stamp.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual display displays the plurality of clinical events in a chronological view. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first dimension is organized by medical subspecialties. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first image is a radiological image. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first image is a photographic image. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time-stamped clinical event is a report of laboratory data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically updating the visual display with additional images in real time based on receipt into the memory sector of additional electronic communications, each of which independently contains an additional time-stamped clinical event of the subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising marking by the image processor the first image based on access of the first image by a user, thereby indicating to a viewer that the user has accessed the first image. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 h) receiving into the memory sector from the first data source a third electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the third electronic communication contains a third time-stamped clinical event of a second subject, wherein the third time-stamped clinical event corresponds to the first time-stamped clinical event of the first subject;   i) receiving into the memory sector from the second data source a fourth electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the fourth electronic communication contains a fourth time-stamped clinical event of the second subject, wherein the fourth time-stamped clinical event corresponds to the second time-stamped clinical event of the first subject, wherein each of the fourth time-stamped clinical event and the second time-stamped clinical event is a treatment outcome;   j) reading by the computer processor the computer-readable code from the third electronic communication to identify the time-stamped clinical event of the second subject;   k) reading by the computer processor the computer-readable code from the fourth electronic communication to identify the fourth time-stamped clinical event of the second subject;   l) generating by the image processor a third image based on the identity of the third time-stamped clinical event of the second subject;   m) generating by the image processor a fourth image based on the identity of the fourth time-stamped clinical event of the second subject;   n) displaying on the visual display the third image;   o) displaying on the visual display the fourth image; and   p) determining a comparative degree of improvement between the clinical outcomes of the first subject and the second subject based on the second time-stamped clinical event of the first subject and the fourth time-stamped clinical event of the second subject.   
     
     
         10 . A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-executable code encoded therein, the computer-executable code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
 a) providing a healthcare management system, wherein the healthcare management system comprises:
 i) a data receiving module; 
 ii) an identification module; 
 iii) an image generation module; and 
 iv) an output module; 
   b) receiving by the data receiving module a first electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the first electronic communication contains a first time-stamped clinical event for a subject from a first data source;   c) receiving by the data receiving module a second electronic communication in a computer-readable code, wherein the second electronic communication contains a second time-stamped clinical event for the subject from a second data source;   d) identifying by the identification module the first time-stamped clinical event of the subject by reading the computer-readable code of the first electronic communication;   e) identifying by the identification module the second time-stamped clinical event of the subject by reading the computer-readable code of the second electronic communication;   f) generating by the image processing module a first image based on the identity of the first time-stamped clinical event of the subject;   g) generating by the image processing module a second image based on the identity of the second time-stamped clinical event of the subject; and   h) outputting by the output module a visual display of the first image and the second image, wherein the output module organizes the visual display so that the first image and the second image are displayed in a first dimension based on medical service type and in a second dimension based on time stamp.   
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the output module displays the plurality of clinical events in a chronological view. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the output module organizes the first dimension by medical subspecialties. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the healthcare management system further comprises an update module, wherein the update module prompts the output module to update the visual display in real time based on receipt into the data receiving module of additional electronic communications, each of which independently contains an additional time-stamped clinical event of the subject. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the healthcare management system further comprises a marking module, wherein the marking module marks the first image based on access of the first image by a user, thereby indicating to a viewer that the user has accessed the first image.